Posts Tagged ‘N’

North Korea Monday officially proposed dialogue with South Korea, less than two months after launching a deadly bombardment of a South Korean island.

Three official bodies separately sent notices to Seoul’s unification ministry calling for talks and announcing the reopening of a Red Cross border liaison office, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

It said the messages proposed holding a working contact for talks in the North’s border city of Kaesong on January 27, and suggested talks between Red Cross organisations in the southern city of Munsan on February 1.

The Red Cross liaison channel at the border truce village of Panmunjom would be reopened from January 12, the agency announced.

A Seoul government source quoted by the South’s Yonhap news agency confirmed the North had sent an official letter. There was no immediate response.

South Korea, which had been seeking a request through official channels, reacted coolly earlier Monday to a weekend proposal made through state media for the “unconditional and early opening” of talks.

The North’s November 23 bombardment of Yeonpyeong island near the disputed Yellow Sea border killed four people including civilians and drove tensions to their highest level for years.

CAIRO, Nov 19, 2009 (AFP) – Egypt suspended its membership of the Union of North African Football Federations on Thursday, complaining that Algerian fans had thrown stones at their supporters during the country’s World Cup exit.

The Egyptian Football Federation wrote to its counterparts in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia charging that its fans had come under sustained assault during the make-or-break qualification play-off in Khartoum on Wednesday, the state MENA news agency reported.

Algerian fans wave to welcome players of the Algerian national football team in Algiers on November 19, 2009 to celebrate their victory over Egypt (AFP photo)

Egypt had already called in the Algerian ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Algiers for consultations in protest.

The game’s Sudanese hosts strongly contested Egypt’s version of events insisting just four Egyptian fans had sustained minor injuries and calling in the Egyptian ambassador in Khartoum in its own protest.

By contrast, world football’s governing body FIFA said that three Algerian players and the goalkeeping coach suffered injuries that “weren’t superficial” ahead of Egypt’s 2-0 victory in Cairo on Saturday that forced the play-off.

A number of Algerian fans were also injured after the game, triggering attacks against Egyptians and Egyptian interests in Algeria.

WELLINGTON, Nov 13, 2009 (AFP) – Footballing minnows Bahrain are bidding to become the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup when they take on New Zealand in a make-or-break qualifier Saturday.

Bahrain’s national squad

The island state fell at the final hurdle on the way to the 2006 World Cup and are desperate to avoid a repeat.

After a scoreless first leg draw in Manama last month, things are evenly poised with New Zealand, who will also be keen to bag a spot at football’s premier event for the first time since 1982.

Bahrain almost made the grade in 2005 when the wealthy Middle East kingdom of 725,000 people drew against Trinidad and Tobago in the away leg of its final qualifier but then lost the decider 1-0 in front of a shocked home crowd.

“We have some players who remember this game and of course they are sad and disappointed because the first game brought a draw in (Trinidad and) Tobago and afterwards they lost everything at home in front of their supporters,” Bahrain coach Milan Macala told a press conference in Wellington Friday.

Now at the same stage of the qualifiers, Bahrain has the opportunity to consign 2005’s disappointment to history.

Macala said even for those players who did not play four years ago, the loss would serve as motivation in the current campaign.

The coach said he was disappointed his team, which finished fifth in the Asian qualifying zone, did not win the first leg after dominating much of the 90 minutes against the Oceania champions.

“I think we were the better team, but here maybe the situation will be a little different.”

Bahrain is 22 places above New Zealand in the world rankings at 61, but Macala was dismissive of their importance, saying he respected the spirit of New Zealand and their strike power up front.

New Zealand needs to win, with a scoring draw as good as a win for their opponents because away goals count for more than those scored at home.

A scoreless draw will see the match go into extra time and — if needed — a penalty shootout.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert says the All Whites know they need to take a positive approach if they are to make their first World Cup finals appearance for 28 years.

“We will be absolutely on the front foot from the whistle,” Herbert told journalists.

Herbert and his team are in an unaccustomed spotlight in rugby-mad New Zealand as football for once takes centre stage.

Wellington’s stadium — known as the Cake Tin — has been sold out for weeks and the All Whites will have the noisy support of 35,500 fans, the biggest ever football crowd in New Zealand.

“It’s going to be a great place to be on Saturday,” Herbert said.

But he also knows it will take more than crowd support to overcome a Bahrain side he describes as technically good, with plenty of pace.

“I think they’ll keep coming and I think that’s been evident in their away fixtures and in some cases you can argue they’ve been a better team away from home,” he said.

“We’re under no illusion on what the task is going to be tomorrow night.”

For New Zealand, midfielder Simon Elliott is yet to be confirmed fit as he recovers from a hip strain.

Much will depend on strikers Shane Smeltz — the top scorer this year in Australia’s A-League, Rory Fallon of English side Portsmouth and Celtic’s Chris Killen, with teenager Chris Wood of West Bromwich Albion likely to be on the bench.

Captain Ryan Nelsen of English premiership side Blackburn Rovers will be the key figure in defence with his top flight experience.

Bahrain will be without striker Ala’a Hubail, who was injured soon after the first leg and fellow forward Hussail Ali, who is recovering from a knee injury.